Getty Nic Claxton is a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Brooklyn Nets are off to a good start this season and find themselves climbing the Eastern Conference totem pole after each game thanks to their hot stretch.
Kevin Durant is having one of the best seasons of his career, and James Harden also appears to be getting back on the right track. All of this means that the Nets can hang with anybody in the NBA, and they aren’t even at full strength.
Obviously, the team is without the services of Kyrie Irving over his vaccine stance, but they are also without Nic Claxton, the starting center to begin the season. He’s dealing with a non-COVID illness, but it has still caused him to miss a good chuck of the early season.
He was recently sent down to the G-League for a brief stint but he’s since been called back up and he’s nearing a return.
Starting Center Nearing Return?
GettyNicolas Claxton, Joe Harris, and Blake Griffin chat during a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets.
After missing his eighth straight game, it’s looking like Claxton could be set for a return in the very near future.
According to the New York Post, head coach Steve Nash said that he likely won’t be back until the Nets come back to Brooklyn, but things are looking better for the young big man.
“But he started ramping back up again [Wednesday],” Nash said. “So I don’t know how long that process will take. I think they have to assess where he’s at, and then see how he goes and then we’ll figure out when he can play again.”
He says that he can’t pick an exact date for the return, but the team will have an estimated timeline soon.
“But like I said, with the number of priorities I have right now on my plate, I haven’t discussed a date for him to come back, because I know it’s not [imminent],” Nash said via the Post. “But in the next few days, we can kind of have a ballpark [estimate], but right now I have nothing for you else on Nic’s return.”
The Nets Could Use Him
GettyBrooklyn Nets big man LaMarcus Aldridge watches his shot during a game against the LA Lakers.
Despite the early season success, the Nets could use some youth at the big man position. Currently, they are a bit old at the spot with Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge manning the position.
Aldridge has looked good coming off the bench so far this season, and the team will get even deeper once Claxton returns.
Nash said Aldridge will keep on coming off the bench as he provides a good veteran presence and has proven he can still score. He put up 21 points in the win over the Magic.
Since Claxton still has no official timeline for return, the Nets will likely continue with the lineup they have going at the moment since it does appear to be working. It’ll be interesting to see what decision is made once Claxton returns. If anything, the team will have more depth no matter if he starts or comes off the bench.
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